Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a session?
Typically a single session to help you stop smoking will last about 2 - 2.5 hours

What happens in a session?
Firstly, each session will be designed for each individual. Reasons for smoking and reasons to stop smoking are different for everyone. The routine and habit is also different for everyone. So, it is very important that your therapist has an understanding of what it means to you to smoke and to stop smoking, in order to tailor your time together to be the most effective. Therefore you will be asked to answer some questions prior to the session to facilitate this. This can be  done by email for convenience, or over the 'phone or in person in advance of the main session if preferred. Alternatively you are welcome to come in for an initial chat before deciding to book your session. (There is no charge for this).

During the session there will be an initial discussion explaining a bit about the conscious and unconscious parts of our minds and what this means for smoking. We will work together using a variety of techniques, some involving visualisation, which can be surprisingly powerful and effective, and at some times you will experience a light trance state, enabling the therapist to address the unconscious part of the mind directly. This can be a very pleasant experience and can leave you feeling energised and envigorated at the same time as being very relaxed.

When the unconscious part of the mind is no longer under the illusion that smoking gives you any benefit at all, you will be amazed that it no longer motivates you to do so! However, smoking is also a habit that we spend a lot of time and effort building up! So there may be times when habitually you would have lit up before you stopped. Therefore an important part of the session is to teach techniques that you can use yourself whenever you need to. You will address specific scenarios that may be higher risk for you than others, enabling to to carry on your life with no disruption or having to avoid certain places, people or events.

At the end of the session you will recieve a folder containing all the techniques that you can use for yourself along with additional useful information, some of which would have been covered in the session.

Will I gain weight?
This is a frequent concern. The answer is that you can stop smoking without gaining weight, in fact it is possible to stop smoking and start losing weight at the same time!. When someone stops smokling using willpower alone, their unconscious mind still thinks that a cigarette is in some way giving them something good, therefore there may be a tendency to substitute food for the cigarette, because of the illusion that it relieves stress or gives comfort. The great news is that using the unconscious mind can lose that illusion, and will not desire any substitute.

It is true that while someone smokes, they are living with an artificially high level of stress hormones in their system, at all times, so their heart will be beating faster that the resting rate of a non-smoker. When someone stops, their metabolism may well slow down a little, but this is a good thing, isn't it? How much better than living in a constant state of readiness to run or flee, which is what the stress hormones do to you (explaining the agitation you feel).

There is a very simple approach to eating that will ensure that there need not be any weight gain. Some people find that their increased level of energy from stopping smoking also motivates them to become more active, as you become more in tune with your body, enjoying your new level of health.

Any more questions?
Of course, if you have any other questions at all, please feel free to contact Cathy at The Hampstead (Stop) Smoking Clinic

In North West London (Belsize Park, London NW3)

email: enquiries@hampsteadsmokingclinic.com